Ghost‘s Tobias Forge has opened up about the “tremendous influence” Black Sabbath have had on him throughout his life.
The frontman of the Swedish occult metal band is slated to play at Ozzy Osbourne and co’s final concert at Villa Park in the latter’s hometown of Birmingham on Saturday July 5 as Papa Perpetua. The upcoming show will see Black Sabbath’s most iconic line-up – comprising Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – play live together for the first time in two decades.
The stacked line-up also includes the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, recent Grammy-winners Gojira, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Tool, Jason Momoa and Rival Sons.
While appearing as the latest guest on NME‘s In Conversation series, Forge discussed how Black Sabbath impacted his life. He explained that they “have been a tremendous influence on me. Ozzy as a frontman and Ozzy as a solo artist is something I put a divide between, because I grew up in the ‘80s where he was much more of a rockstar than Black Sabbath were. I gravitated towards that, but I also grew up listening to the old Black Sabbath records.
“Nowadays, I love most Black Sabbath releases. Even the ‘80s and ‘90s albums, I love them for what they are, and the Dio era also has a very special place in my heart, too. ‘Vol. 4’, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ and ‘Sabotage’ have been absolute milestones for me for as long as I’ve been writing music. They’ve been very influential, even though it might not be super evident. I’ve always listened to them, and I’ve always been inspired by them.”
He continued: “As far as introspection goes and being a little bit more brave lyrically, you see that in Geezer [Butler]’s lyrics. He has always been much more naked and brave than he’s getting credit for. Most metal fans only [care about] the heaviness, but it has so much more. Heaviness is great, but there’s so much more in that kitchen. There’s not only meat and potatoes, there’s a lot of other seasonings and very nice wine.”
The show will see Forge perform as Ghost’s new iteration of their frontman as the extravagant Papa Perpetua, a figurehead whose purple robes and chromatic detailing hint at a more modernised chapter. The new version of the singer follows the tradition of the band developing a new frontman for each LP cycle.
Speaking to NME about how this iteration of the singer fits into the wider Ghost story, Forge shared: “I can’t really say much until he has been able to strut around and find his place. When it comes to the characters within the lore, they are humans with the same fears and needs as everyone else. They’re just searching for a sense of purpose.”
Ghost’s highly anticipated sixth studio album ‘Skeletá’ is set for release on April 25 and is available for pre-order here.
Elsewhere, the band will be heading on their own tour around the UK, Europe and the US next month, starting in Manchester’s AO Arena on April 15. Find the full list of dates here and any remaining tickets in the UK here and US here.